Collapsible crate



July 12, 1932. J. c. MILLER v I COLLAPSIBLE CRATE Filed May 9, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Izz abbot/egg.

. out'fiat and a stack of Patented July 12,- 19,32

JULIEN c. MILLER, or renucen, KENTUCKY corL PsIBLE caATn Appl ication filed May 9, 1929. s m No. 361,615.

This invention relates toa collapsible crate designed primarily for use in holdi'ng'berry baskets.

It is an object "of the invention to provide a crate the greaterportion of which is formed of thin sheets of veneer so assembled'that when the crate is not in use, it can be laid ported at low cost;

Another object'is to provide'a crate of this character which is light inconstruction and, when set up for use, will hold superposed trays of baskets securely in; position so that they will not become dislodged and the contents'spilled while in transit.

A further object is to provide a crate having simple and efiicient means for fastening it together While in use without requiring the use of staples, nails, or other fastening devices such as commonly employed and all of which tend to mutilate the crate and render it unfit for subsequent use.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the pre- 7 ferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings,

Figure l is a frontelevation of the crate set up for use. I

Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section.

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section.

Figure 5 is a perspective View of one of the articulated frame members of the crate.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the end panels or heads.

Figure 7 is a perspective View of one of the trays used for holding the heads properly positionedwhen the crate is set up.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of thecrate collapsed or folded.

m Figure 9 is a plan view of a portion of the V crates easily trans preferred form of the crate.

Figure 10 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 9. .1. Figure '11 is a portion of another form of jointed frame. N

jointed frame used Figure 12 is a .plan view of a portion of an-.

other modified form of frame.

Referring to the figures by characters of 7 reference, 1 designates thejfront section of a frame member provided atone end with -'a short tongue or ear 2providedwith anapere,

ture 3. while. its other end is forkedto pro: 'i

videspaced ears 4. The bottom section of. the ointed frame has been indicated at 5 and 1s. provided at one end with a tongue or'ear.

6 while its other end. isforked to..-zprovide spaced ears indicated at 7. :Earfi is connected to cars 4 by a pivot pin 8 and .ears- 7 are connected bya pivot pin 9 to atongue or ear 10 extending fromthe back sectionll of the jointed frame. This section, like the section 5, has spaced cars 12: connected'by. a pivct pin lg to thetop section: 14. This section is similar in construction to'the sections 11, and 5' and has a forked end providingears' 15 through which isextended an aperture 16.

In practicepreferably twdjointed frames such asdescribed are. use.d,one being located at each. end of the crate. 7 These frames are connectedizby strips. 17 formed preferably of veneer andeattachedto the frames b stapling or anyiothier manner. desired. Where these strips 1? areseatended: across the frame they anereinforced or backed by outer strips 18 arranged parallel with the. respective sec tions .ofthe frame, and attached t the strips 17 and'torthe fra'me'fiby wPlQS 919 h? sui able fastening meansr The front, bottom, back, and top panels omn ef theistri ps l? and l an the f a 1 38 r ere d y me t e w or strip 19. ltheretoby stapleSQrthe like t hcwn t rmin ing dj c n the t p edge of the treat re ame fr n dg f the top panel. This can be seenby referring pa ticula ly to I E gu 1 T ES ei f @rti s rips a e soprop ed ha w e the: crate is set. up. for use, they will extend taut across the'joint between the panels as shown for example in Figure 2.

The framemembers 1 located at the ends of the crate are provided with special fastening devices. Each of these consists of a resilient wire 20 extending longitudinally of the section 1 and held thereto by staples 21. A finger 22 is extended radially from one end of the wire while another finger 23 is extended radially from the other end thereof, the

two fingers being disposed out ofline. When finger 22 is resting fiat against the side of section 1 the finger 23 is substantially in line with the opening 8. Obviously by pulling the finger 23 laterally away from section 1 and then placing the cars 15 at the sides of ear 2 with the openings 16 and 3 inalinement, finger 23' can be inserted through these alining openings and thus serve to hold the frame members 1 and 14 together.-

V In connection with the front, bottom, back,

and top panels of the crate there are used end panels or heads'2e; Each of these is formed of two or more thicknesses of veneer, the grain of'eac-h thickness being extended at an angle to the grain of the next adjoining thickness and the said thicknesses being-held together by stitching. Each. panel is cut tolap the sections 1, 5, 11, and 14-. of the endframes and to extend close to the. inner faces of the strips 1.7,forming parts of the front, back, bottom, and toppanels. In using this crate thesectional frames are laid out fiatso that the panels of which they form parts will also be flat. The baskets B are stacked onthe bottom panel with trays interposed between the layers of baskets. As shown in Figure 7 each tray can consist of parallel strips 25 connected by cross strips 26 of veneer or the like. These trays are adapted to abut at their ends against the heads or end panels 2e. After the. proper number of baskets have been assembled upon the bottom panel of the crate the heads 24 are placed in upstanding positions against the ends of the interposed trays and theends of the rows of baskets B following which the b'ack,front, and top panels are brought to positions Where the frame members of the ends therof will lap'the'edge portions of the heads 24: and

the stacked. baskets will be enclosed The ends of the'frame members 1 and Marc then fastened together by the means heretofore described whereupon allofthe parts will be held assembled securely. 7

and thus shipped at low cost because of the relatively small space occupied thereby.

Instead of forming the frame members I are assembleghas in Figure 12, they will 'oc cupy the same plane.

- What isclaimed is: 3 1

A collapsible. crate including. relatively movable panels, and means for detachably connecting the panels, I each of said means including a resilient wire slidably and rotate ably mounted on one of the panels and fingers radiating from the respective ends of the wire but in 'diiferentplanes, one of said fingers ing' means forengagingithe two panels to hold them against relative movement.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own,;I have hereto afiixed my signature.

JULIEN C. MILLER.

. constituting means for limiting the rotation d 'of the wireand the other finger constitut- To obtain access to the contents of the crate V the fingers 28 are pulled out of engagement 7 with the ears 15 and the top, front, and back panels are swung away from the stacked baskets which are thus left exposed and can be removed readily.

' By laying out the panels so that they will lie fiat'with the trays 26 and heads {24 resting thereon, a number of the crates can be stacked 

